Man charged with Finucane murder

A man arrested in connection with the death of the human rights lawyer Pat Finucane was charged last night with his murder.

Kenneth Barrett, 40, is due to appear before Belfast magistrates this morning.

He is accused of killing Mr Finucane in February 1989, as the republican lawyer ate Sunday lunch with his family at his home in north Belfast.

Barrett and his girlfriend were arrested under the Terrorism Act at an address in Sussex as part of the Stevens Inquiry into alleged Army collusion with loyalist terrorists.

Mr Finucane's family wants an independent public inquiry into allegations that he was framed by military intelligence. They deny that he was a member of the IRA.

Barrett, unemployed, was also charged with a number of other offences, including the attempted murder of Thomas McCreery on January 17, 1991, and the attempted murder of Elizabeth McEvoy on January 17, 1991.

He is accused of membership of the Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Freedom Fighters on or before May 29, 2003, contrary to Section 21 of the Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions Act 1978.

Barrett was also charged with the theft of two SA80 rifles with sights, two empty magazines and two Browning pistols with two empty magazines on Jan 31, 1989, at the 7/10 Ulster Defence Regiment Armoury, Malone Barracks, in Belfast.

He is also accused of handling stolen goods, including 11.9mm Browning pistols and 7.62 light machine guns.

His 45-year-old girlfriend, who has not been named, has been released pending submission of papers for consideration by the Director of Public Prosecutions.